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2 Sheets--Sheen 1.

R. H. BRIGGS & J. H. DOUG-HERTY. ,Me0hanism for Making Ladder-Irons and Hand-Holds.

for Freight-Oars.

Pate Jan. 27,1880. W 22% i 2 Sheets-$heet 2 S M 0 H d M N d En Ha GS ww Dh m. H6, M & 2. HM Gk Ia M B r e Rm 1 n h 0 e M Patented Jan. 27, 1880.

%%NTUR .2 m aar ATTORNEYS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

RICHARD H. BRIGGS AND JAMES H, DOUGHERTY, OF WHISTLER, ALA.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING LADDER-IRONS AND HAND-HOLDS FOR FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 223,877, dated January 27, 1880.

Application filed September 12, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, RICHARD H. BRIGGS the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, 5 have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Making Ladder-Irons and HandHolds for Freight-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a plan of the devices. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation on line m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional elevation of a portion of the machine on line 3 1 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation of a portion of the machine on line 2 a, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a hand'hold iron as made by the machine. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of aladder'iron as made by the machine. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the devices.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide new and simple devices for making freight-car ladder-irons and'hand-holds.

In the drawin gs, A represents the base, bolted on which, at one end, is a slotted gaged upright, B, provided with a sliding step or gage, O. The two standards D D, set on the base A, support a horizontal frame, E, that carries on one end a fixed clamp-jaw, F, and a movable clamp-jaw, F, between the grooved faces of which is space enough for the admission of the iron rod to be operated upon. The movable clamp-jaw F slides transversely in the end of the frame E, and is provided with a socket, a, in which engages the rounded end of the dog G. This dog G is rigidly secured on the end of the rocking shaft H, which is supported in a horizontal position under the frame E by the hangers I and J, that are secured to the under side'of the frame E.

A lever, K, fixed to the main end of this rocking shaft H, and held up by the spiral spring S, is connected with the foot-lever L by the rod M, and the fixed end of this lever L is pivoted in the lug N, that is fastened to the base A. Embedded in a raised boss or anvil, O, on the upper surface of the frame E is acircular die, P. Firmly fixed upon the frame E, over the clamp-jaw F, is an upwardly-pro- 1 5o jecting curved arm, Q, provided with a socket,

b, and fitted movably in this socket b is a die,

R, that is held just above the space between the clamp-jaws F and F. and JAMES H. DOUGHERTY, of Whistler, in

Fixed on the top of the frame E, and about imidway of its length,is a raised bent standard,

S, and centrally in front of this standard S is fixed on the frame E a plate, T, having on one end a vertical guiding socket or tube, U, for guiding the punch V. to which are connected the levers W W W,that are fulcrumed in the lugs c c of the standard S. Under the base of this standard S, and extending through under the punch V, is a horizontal aperture, K. On the opposite end of the frame E from the clamp-jaws F and F are the bending devices, and these consist of two like horizontal spring-gages, A A, that are composed of metallic rods d d, encircled with spiral springs f f, said rods d 01 being provided on their outer ends with nuts g g, and on their inner 7o ends with beveled blocks h h, and these gages A A are horizontally movable in the arms 2" 11 and standards B B. Pivoted between these standards B B, above the gages A A, is the bending-lever O, that moves in avert-ical plane, and pivoted to a raised ledge, 70, on the frame E, in rear of the standards B B, is the bending-lever'D, that moves in a horizontal plane. In this ledge 70, centrally in front of the space between the standards BB, is an opening, l,

through which the bar of iron may be introduced for bending.

The lever D can be adjusted as shown in Fig. 1,-or be reversed and pivoted in the hole m on the opposite side of the opening I.

The devices are operated as follows: The iron bar or rod, after being heated, is set with one end between. the clamp-jaws F and F and the other end resting on the step or gage U. The foot or ot'her power is then applied to the lever L, which causes the clamp-jaw F to close upon the rod and gripeit tightly; then one or more blows from a sledge on the die R upset the end of the rod. The upset end of the rod is then placed in the circular die P, when two or more blows of a sledge flatten it. It is then inserted into the aperture X until its fiattened end reaches under the punch V, where a hole is punchedin it by power applied to the levers W W W. The rod is then withdrawn I00 and taken to the bending device, the lever O of which is kept in an upright position by the spring-gages A A, and inserted through the opening l until it touches the spring-gage A A. The lever D is then forced around against the rod and bends it at a right angle, making the bend shown upon the hand-hold atm, Fig. 5, and while the lever D holds the rod in this position the leverOis brought down, forming the last bend, (seen at n, Fig. 5.)

The above is the operation for fashioning one end of the hand-hold. The opposite end is fashioned in the same manner, and the handhold can be finished in one heat.

I11 Fig. 6 is shown a section of a ladder-iron made by this machine, the operation of the machine being the same in both cases, only that but one bend is made in each end of the ladder-iron.

With this mechanism we have made one thousand ladder-irons in ten hours, and We know of no mechanism constructed for this purpose that is so efficient, so durable, or soaccurate in its performance.

Having thus fully described our invention,

secure by Let- RIOHARD HENRY BRIGGS. JAMES HENRY DOUGHERTY.

YVitnesses:

EDMUND HANG, L. GRABTREE.

described for upsetting, flat- 

